Prerequisites: 1L Constitutional Law or Constitutional Law: Separation of Powers.

Exam Type: No Exam
Students will be required to submit a short (1 or 2-page) paper on a ‘great’ SCOTUS case that we have not covered in the class by the end of the semester.

What makes a case great? Why do some cases take on a life of their own, requiring study and comment from every angle by generation after generation of lawyers, law professors, law students and students of the Supreme Court?

In this reading group, we shall focus on great cases over the course of the history of the Court – Marbury, Brown, Fair Admissions, Roe v. Wade, Dobbs, New York Times v. Sullivan, and others. The predominant focus will be to discuss the historical context surrounding these cases and dissect them in a manner that will inform their role in the Court’s history. The majority of the readings will be the cases.

Note: This reading group will meet on the following dates: February 1, February 15, February 29, March 7, March 21, April 4.